


'Til the End of the Line

by GraduateGraduate



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grocery Store, And then you can't stop checking them out, Catching someone checking you out, M/M, cutesy crap, unbetaed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 09:52:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4662255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GraduateGraduate/pseuds/GraduateGraduate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Some cutesy whatever this is for my girl, Dangerousnotbroken.  Unbetaed and whatnot.</p>
    </blockquote>





	'Til the End of the Line

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dangerousnotbroken](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dangerousnotbroken/gifts).



> Some cutesy whatever this is for my girl, Dangerousnotbroken. Unbetaed and whatnot.

Bucky can’t believe he let himself run out of bread.  Again. After a leisurely Saturday morning sleep-in, he goes to pop in toast to find he only has the ends of the loaf left. Bread crusts for breakfast on a Saturday?  He doesn’t think so. So he throws on a tanktop and heads to the grocery store a couple blocks from his apartment.

Bucky enters near the produce section and bends over to grab a basket.  He looks to his left to orient himself in the store.  He glimpses the only cashier working openly staring at him. Bucky can’t tell if he’s being checked out or if the intricate sleeve covering his left arm and his messy bun are being scrutinized.  He accidentally makes eye contact with the blond, and the way he turns a quick scarlet and looks away as their eyes meet doesn’t answer Bucky’s question as to whether or not this guy is into him or has been caught wondering what the hell Bucky’s doing with his life.

Bucky heads towards the bread aisle, but he can’t help but sneak another glance over his shoulder as he goes because _damn_ that guy was _cute_.  He grabs a loaf of bread, decides he better get one for the freezer as well, and throws a bag of coffee in his basket for good measure before heading to the checkout.

Bucky waits patiently in the cute blond’s line as he helps the customer in front of him with her cart full of groceries. He watches him as he works. He’s got this boy-nextdoor look to him, like he’s probably never left his home state, and he slouches in a way that makes Bucky think he never quite adjusted to being over 6 feet tall.

Bucky’s trying to decide if there’s any polite way for him to ask this guy for his number. If he were behind him in line at Starbucks he would order his usual iced americano and ‘whatever he’s having,’ and ask if he had time to chat over coffee or if he had to run back to work. But Bucky doesn’t feel good about asking this guy for his number while he’s working.  Buck’s sure he’s giving this woman that warm smile because it’s expected of him and not because ringing in this lady’s cart of catfood and frozen TV dinners is the highlight of his day. 

“I can help you over here,” a lady calls from a counter over, breaking Bucky’s train of thought.

Bucky steals one last look at the cute blond before switching lanes and handing her his items.

***

It’s Wednesday evening and Bucky’s opening his fridge every five minutes hoping that _this time_ there will be something more than beer in there. He finally resigns to the fact that it’s definitely time to do a full grocery shop.  If he’s lucky the cutie will be working.  It’s not every day Bucky has added motivation for grocery shopping.

He grabs a cart at the store entrance and marches in to the produce section.  He peeks at the checkout on his way in, but the blond isn’t there. Bucky shakes off his disappointment and starts shopping.

Bucky works through every aisle, grabbing all the things he’s out of.  He grabs the basics – bread, milk, eggs, cheese, garlic and onion, various veggies – before tossing a few boxes of pasta and jars of sauce into the cart as well. He’s wandering down the toiletries aisle when he sees his shampoo is on sale.  He tosses a bottle of that in the cart with a  box of toothpaste.  Once he’s scoured every aisle and picked up anything he thinks he might be running low on, Bucky heads for the checkout.

_Crap_.  The cute blond is working the express till tonight.  He’s being yelled at by a woman who is _certain_ she’s being overcharged for her gluten free crackers and wants to speak to a manger.  Bucky looks between the _12 items or less_ sign and the other two open tills.  Fuck, he can’t believe he’s about to do this, but this guy looks like he could use an easy customer and a genuine smile after that customer.  So Bucky finds a basket, piles the basics into it, and guiltily ditches the half-full cart of canned goods near the back of an aisle.

The angry customer abandons her crackers and huffs out of the store as Bucky starts unloading his items onto the belt.

“Rough day?” Bucky asks.

“It’s not so bad,” the cashier sighs.

Bucky isn’t ready for the startling blue eyes that lock his.  He chews at his bottom lip as _Steve_ , his nametag informs, bags his groceries.

“That’ll be $22.87.”

“Huh?”  Bucky realizes he’s been staring.  _Shit._

The tops of Steve’s ears flush gently. “That’ll be $22.87,” Steve repeats, eyes flicking between Bucky’s and the counter.

“Right, sorry,” Bucky stammers. He runs one hand through his hair as his other digs into his pocket for his wallet.  He pulls out his credit card, which he fumbles and drops. Now he’s wishing he’d gone to one of the other tills.  He retrieves the card from the floor and jams it into the card reader, punching his pin in quickly.  
  
_Pin error_.

Bucky wants to sink into the floor. He punches his pin in again and is relieved when it works.

The cashier is trying to hold back a smile.  “Rough day?”

Bucky shoves his wallet back into his pocket.  “Just a little distracted is all.”  He grabs his bags and forces himself to walk, not run, from the store.

_Smooth, Buck, smooth._ Well, at least he seemed to cheer Steve up a little.

***

It’s been a month since Bucky made a fool of himself in front of Steve.  He’s been going to a supermarket 30 minutes out of his way just so he doesn’t have to face the cute cashier again, but that just isn’t sustainable. He’s out of milk, eggs _and_ peanut butter, so he either needs to dash to the store or he’s not going to have breakfast in the morning.

Bucky spots Steve standing at a cash register as he walks in.  _Shit._   He hopes he entered unnoticed.

He takes his basket of essentials up to the counter Steve isn’t working at just as the lady puts up her “this till closed” sign.

_Really?_   Bucky considers abandoning his basket and coming back tomorrow.  _You’re being ridiculous. Fortify, man.  Just go smile and be pleasant.  But not weird.  And wish him a good evening, and then take your eggs home and remember to put them in the fucking fridge._

Buck lines his items up on the conveyor and chews on his lip while Steve rings him up.  He readies his credit card before Steve asks for it, and is ready to bolt for the door as soon as he has his receipt. Bucky suddenly realizes the end of the month has snuck up on him.

“Shoot.  You know, I forgot to buy my monthly bus pass. Can I get a pack of those fare savers to tide me over until I can grab one?”

“Sure.  Uh, how about I just give you a couple of mine? It’ll be cheaper,” Steve reaches into his pocket.

“Oh yeah?  What’s it cost?”  Bucky’s pulling his wallet back out.

“A cup of coffee?” Steve flashes a nervous smile.   Bucky’s pretty sure he doesn’t ask people out often.

Bucky’s face breaks into a wide grin, eyes crinkling at the corners.  “Sure!”

“Oh, yeah, that’s…” Steve starts looking like he’s trying to save face.  “Wait. You said yes?”

Bucky laughs. “It’s a date.” He scribbles his name and number on the back of his receipt and trades Steve for the bus tickets. He has a little extra jaunt in his step as he heads home.

***

After their first date goes well, as do the numerous dates that follow, Bucky stil drops by Steve’s till to pick up an item or two.  Sometimes he comes in for a single pack of gum just to drop off a Cappuccino for Steve. Bucky waits patiently in the queue, signaling to the customers around him that they should move to the lane that’s just opened up and is calling for him to move over.

Steve shakes his head with a laugh and calls, “Just buy your chapstick from Sharon!  I’ll see you when I’m off at 7.”

“Nuh-uh.  I’m with you ‘til the end of the line, pal.”


End file.
